Review

Film Review: Five Nights at Freddy’s may be too long a stay for the uninitiated viewer

As someone who hasn’t played the Five Nights at Freddy’s video game series and, by extension, has no idea of the attached lore, I can’t comment on how faithful Emma Tammi‘s supernatural horror(ish) film truly is.  I have to hope that the purists will enjoy themselves with what is put forward, but as a casual…

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Film Review: Monolith is an intimate, isolated chiller that delights in its own ambiguity

As we have been told across filmic media for years, “The truth is out there”, and referencing the tagline for The X-Files feels more than appropriate when discussing Matt Vesely‘s science-fiction leaning chiller Monolith, an intimate, isolated feature that flirts with the notion of an alien invasion without complete penetration. Such a tease. An incredibly…

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Nightmarish folk horror film Saint Drogo is brutal, bleak and erotic: Nightmares Film Festival Review

After announcing themselves as a queer filmmaking collective that weren’t afraid to take risks with both the horror genre they clearly adore and certain dynamics within their own community with their campy, giallo-inspired slasher Death Drop Gorgeous (now streaming on Shudder), Monster Makeup, LLC have more proven they aren’t a flash in the pan –…

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Bottoms rises to the top with an uproarious nature: SXSW Sydney Screen Festival Review

There was something darkly, deliciously special about the way writer/director Emma Seligman and actress Rachel Sennott announced themselves with 2020’s Shiva Baby.  A claustrophobic black comedy that indulged in a spiralling, horrific temperament, their collaboration set a certain precedent for the boundary-pushing, topical humour that’s furthered in Bottoms, a wild, oft-violent, sexually liberated high-school comedy…

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Game Review: Lords of the Fallen brings yet another solid action-RPG to the mix

If you feel like you’ve heard of Lords of the Fallen before, you’re not going crazy. Its predecessor was released back in 2014 under the exact same name. While this Lords of the Fallen is technically a sequel, set 1000 years after the original, it feels like more of a traditional reboot, managing to rectify…

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Interview: AnnaLynne McCord on having no fear and blind faith in accepting her role in Condition of Return; “Why am I afraid to say yes?”

You have to take your hat off for director Tommy Stovall and writer John Spare for navigating Condition of Return in a manner that I don’t think even the savviest of viewers would predict.  As a whole it may not always adhere to a certain cohesion as it flits between a dramatic thriller detailing the…

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Pandemic “comedy” New Strains is a nightmarish chore to experience: SXSW Sydney Screen Festival Review

Whilst it’s always best to go into films with zero expectations, plot synopses and narrative outlines at least provide an idea of what audiences can expect from a storytelling perspective – however loose the product itself wants to determine as such.  For New Strains, there was the idea of this being sold as a romantic…

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Film Review: Killers of the Flower Moon is Martin Scorsese at his boldest

In many ways, Killers of the Flower Moon is a celebration of everything we love about Martin Scorsese, whether it’s the flawed gangster charm of Goodfellas or the arresting psychological nuances of Taxi Driver. Though with a budget of between $200-250 million for this epic crime western, you cannot fault this film on being a…

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Film Review: Sick Girl gets away with its morally questionable premise thanks to a knowing sense of humour

The type of film surrounding a character we know we shouldn’t like, Jennifer Cram‘s Sick Girl manages to overcome its central figure’s questionable morals by never asking its audience to forgive her. The “sick girl” in question is Wren Pepper (Nina Dobrev, great), a slacker, party girl-type who’s never grown up in the same manner…

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Game Review: Wizard With a Gun spells a great time

I must admit, it was that wacky title that first drew me to this game. When it was first revealed two years ago, the amusing concept and great trailer art immediately caught my eye – who wouldn’t be excited at the idea of playing as a wizard with a gun? Now that the game is…

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Milli Vanilli is a poignant and tragic cautionary tale about one of pop’s most infamous downfalls: SXSW Sydney Screen Festival Review

The act of (or is it the art of) lip-syncing is one that practically goes part and parcel within the realms of pop music.  Some artists do so because their studio vocals can’t possibly be emulated live.  Others rely on such due to demanding dance routines.  And then there are those that, well, can’t sing…

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The People’s Joker boldly reimagines DC lore through a queer, gender deconstructed lens: SXSW Sydney Screen Festival Review

Hopefully a film that won’t just become infamous for its lack of being seen – after it previewed one single screening at last year’s Toronto International Film Festival it was withdrawn due to “rights issues” – The People’s Joker is a bold, bonkers debut feature from Vera Drew that reimagines the mythology of a slew…

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Game Review : Hot Wheels Unleashed 2: Turbocharged provides a high octane sequel

Hot Wheels Unleashed 2: Turbocharged takes the thrilling formula of its predecessor and cranks up the excitement to a whole new level. The highly anticipated sequel to the 2021 hit Hot Wheels Unleashed; this sequel features a brand new campaign called Creature Rampage that shines a light on the distinct Hot Wheels creatures that have…

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The Royal Hotel is a slow-burn thriller ripe with human horror: SXSW Sydney Screen Festival Review

Inspired by Hotel Coolgardie, Pete Gleeson’s shock 2016 documentary about two female Finnish backpackers and their work experience at a predominantly male-frequented pub, The Royal Hotel similarly shines a light on the the disturbing, toxic nature that can spawn from a small, isolated town that exploits Australia’s “drinking culture” mentality. An ironic title that will…

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Tech Review: Kogan’s 65-inch R94K LED 4K Smart Roku TV provides some solid value for money

I’m around TVs all the time and am constantly admiring the various specs, price points and features of each new model to see how I can upgrade the various panels in each of my viewing areas. The Kogan R94K Roku TV might sit closer towards the entry-level end of the spectrum in terms of both…

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Film Review: Lie With Me is a beautiful, poignant journey detailing a forbidden queer romance

Flitting between two separate timelines as it details a forbidden, youthful romance and the remnants of such a memory, Olivier Peyon‘s tender Lie With Me is a poignant journey, laced with beauty and unavoidable crispness despite its emotionally messy mentality. In the present day, Stéphane Belcourt (Guillaume de Tonquédec) is a famous author who has…

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Game Review: Forza Motorsport consistently shines out on the track

I’ve been a fan of the Forza franchise ever since I first played Forza Motorsport 4 on the Xbox 360. Since then, my love of racing simulators has only grown. While I also love the Forza Horizon series for its slick visuals and arcade-style mechanics, I’ve longed for a solid follow-up to the mainline long-running…

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Tech Review: The Sennheiser AMBEO Soundbar Mini SB02S and additional SW02 subwoofer pack some serious punch

I’ll be completely honest; upon getting the opportunity to review the AMBEO Soundbar Mini and AMBEO Sub, it surprised me just how little I knew about Sennheiser’s latest offerings, in which their new range looks seemingly set to challenge the best that both Sonos and Bose have to offer in the Hi-Fi audio department. While…

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Game Review: Payday 3 learns from the past and sticks to what works

I don’t want this review to feel like a cop-out, given we checked out the closed beta only a couple of months ago. But in the same breath, Payday 3 feels very much the same at launch, albeit now with the added variety of additional locations, gear and load-outs. Payday 3 is in many ways…

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Game Review: Baldur’s Gate 3 is nothing short of an RPG masterpiece

For as much hype as Baldur’s Gate 3 had been building in the months leading up to its release, to its strong early days on PC and now to its release on console, it never really interested me. Allow me to explain. Although I’m a fan of certain titles within the genre, I’m generally not…

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Film Review: Expend4bles: Sly lets his series die with abysmal fourthquel

  When the insertion of the number 4 in a film’s fourth outing as a substitute for the letter A is the smartest thing it’s able to execute, you know you aren’t in for the smoothest of operations. In a year where we’ve seen certain action sequels prove that there’s ample gas in the tank…

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Game Review: EA Sports FC 24 justifies its next chapter with small, yet solid adjustments

We’re finally here. EA Sports FC 24 is now living and breathing in its own space, having parted from the FIFA branding, seemingly for good. While EA FC 24 might bear a fresh name, there are many things to note about its next chapter, that would appeal to new and old fans alike. While EA…

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Film Review: The Exorcist: Believer; Awaited sequel is best viewed as its own entity separate from the untouchable original

Given the big swings he took with his take on the Halloween series – the foul cries from fans were deafening at times – it stands to reason that writer/director David Gordon Green‘s tackling of such a classic genre piece as The Exorcist won’t be done by the books or to the liking of purists….

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Film Review: Cobweb blurs the lines between reality and fantasy as it celebrates the chaotic nature of filmmaking

Though it may be a little haphazardly put together, there’s still a heft of intrigue and amusing genre blending in Kim Jee-woon‘s Cobweb, a blurring of reality and fantasy that places the magic of celluloid at the centre. Set in the 1970s, the film builds itself around Kim (Song Kang-ho), a director who has failed…

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Tech Review: The Asus ROG Swift PG27AQN gaming monitor feels like a huge step forward for competitive gamers

As much as it can be a mouthful to pronounce, the Asus ROG Swift PG27AQN gaming monitor also feels like a lot for most gamers. Almost too much, if we’re being honest. When you break it down, this 27-inch IPS monitor provides a native 2560 x 1440p resolution, along with HDR10 and a Variable Refresh…

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Film Review: Totally Killer; Time travel slasher puts some heart into its horror

Whilst it commits to the kill from an on-screen carnage perspective, Nahnatchka Kahn‘s Totally Killer has a bit more of a Disney Channel Original vibe going for it in terms of its heart and structure; and that’s in no way meant as a diss against what’s ultimately a very digestible, oft witty slasher. In 2023,…

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Tech Review: The Twelve South HiRise 3 Deluxe charging stand is a fantastic 3-in-1 option

Earlier this year, we reviewed Twelve South’s HiRise 3 charging stand, which was fantastic for simply being one of the most minimal and sleek 3-in-1 options at the time on the market. But in just under a year, Twelve South has come quite a long way in developing a new and superior charging stand, in…

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Film Review: The Re-Education of Molly Singer fails to pass the comedy genre test basics

Between No Hard Feelings, Joy Ride, and Bottoms, female-fronted comedy has had an admirable run in 2023, managing to balance crude humour with a sense of earnestness.  The Re-Education of Molly Singer, sadly, doesn’t continue that trend. With a narrative hook that isn’t too displaced from the aforementioned No Hard Feelings, whilst also owing a…

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Game Review: Mortal Kombat 1 builds upon its strong formula

I consider myself a casual fighting game fan. But for one reason or another, I find myself drawn to each and every Mortal Kombat iteration. Is it the gore? The unique and iconic characters? The wacky stories and alternate modes? It might just be all of them. Mortal Kombat 1 decides to reset the timeline…

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Film Review: Saw X is a gory reminder of what this sick series is capable of

Despite the fact that 2010’s 7th Saw entry was subtitled The Final Chapter, the little horror series that could has continued to soldier on with an additional 3 sequels, proving that positive financial returns will always take priority over creativity. Now, that’s not to say that The Final Chapter itself wasn’t somewhat creative – its…

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